Animated Feature Film: “Rango.”
BY SUSAN KING AND RENE LYNCH
LOS ANGELES TIMES
LOS ANGELES — “The Artist,” a black-and-white homage to the early days of Hollywood, was named best picture at the 84th Academy Awards on Sunday. Directed by Michel Hazanavicius, it is the first essentially silent film to win best picture since “Wings” won at the first Oscar ceremony in 1929.
Meryl Streep won the Oscar — and a standing ovation — for her uncanny portrayal of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher for “The Iron Lady.”
Streep has been nominated 17 times, more than any other performer. But she’s won only three Oscars, and the last time was 29 years ago for lead actress in “Sophie’s Choice.” Streep looked shocked when her named was called, especially because Viola Davis was considered the front-runner for “The Help.” Davis hugged Streep before the latter headed up to receive her Oscar.
It was a good night for the French. For the first time in Academy Awards history, a French actor and a French filmmaker took the academy’s top acting and directing awards — for “The Artist.”
Jean Dujardin won best actor for his role in the black-and-white silent film about Hollywood’s rocky transition to the “talkies,” which left many actors behind. Moments earlier, Michel Hazanavicius won directing honors.
“I love your country!” Dujardin said. In the film, he plays a famous silent film star whose career tanks when talkies take over Hollywood.
Dujardin and Hazanavicius are household names in France but unknown to American audiences until “The Artist” opened in theaters in the United States late last year and began sweeping up during the awards season. On Saturday, both men won the trophies in their respective categories at the Film Independent Spirit Awards.
“The Artist” went into the 84th Academy Awards with 10 nominations. It won five, including costume design and original score. Conventional wisdom had pitted it against “Hugo,” Martin Scorsese’s valentine to cinema. That film scored 11 nominations and also won five Oscars, for technical awards: cinematography, art direction, sound editing, sound mixing and visual effects.
The night kicked off with Billy Crystal returning as host for the ninth time after far too long of an absence.
Crystal hasn’t hosted since 2004 — and he wasn’t even supposed to host this year. It was supposed to be Eddie Murphy. But Murphy quit, following producer-director Brett Ratner out the door. Ratner had been tapped to produce the Oscars along with Don Mischer but Ratner was ousted after he was caught using a gay slur.
Only one other person has hosted Hollywood’s biggest night more time than Crystal — Bob Hope. Hope did it 18 times.
84th annual Academy Award winners
Best Picture: “The Artist.”
Actor: Jean Dujardin, “The Artist.”
Actress: Meryl Streep, “The Iron Lady.”
Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, “Beginners.”
Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer, “The Help.”
Directing: Michel Hazanavicius, “The Artist.”
Animated Feature Film: “Rango.”